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Fiber ringdown pressure/force sensors

  • US 7,241,986 B2
  • Filed: 10/08/2004
  • Issued: 07/10/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A sensing device comprising:

  • a laser light source for producing a laser beam;

    a control component connected to said laser light source for controlling activation or deactivation of said laser light source;

    at least one section of optical fiber, configured to receive at least a portion of said laser beam and transmit at least a portion of said received laser beam within said optical fiber;

    at least one fiber coupler, wherein said at least one fiber coupler and said at least one section of optical fiber are spliced together to form a fiber loop;

    at least one sensor component, said sensor component configured to induce a loss in light from said optical fiber as a function of pressure exerted on the sensor component; and

    a photodetector, said photodetector configured to receive a signal originated from said sensor component and transmitted to said photodetector via said fiber coupler;

    wherein said signal provides data, wherein said data is analyzed and processed to determine a ringdown time in said fiber loop and wherein said determined ringdown time is used to determine a pressure being applied on the sensor component; and

    wherein said ringdown time (τ

    ) is related to the force applied by the following equation;

    τ

    = τ

    0


    ( 1 - β





    l
    α





    L
    + E


    F
    )
    where τ

    0 is a ringdown time when no force is applied, F is the force applied, α

    is the wavelength dependent absorption coefficient for fiber core material of said optical fiber, β

    is the force induced loss coefficient, l is the length of a fiber portion that has direct contact with the force being applied, L is the total length of said optical fiber, and E is total insertion losses of said fiber couplers.

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